Bodega El Capricho

I have recently visited this restaurant to celebrate my steak loving wife's 30th birthday. Visiting this restaurant is a true pilgrimage and unique experience for any meat lover. The tour of the farm is essential to understanding the true beauty of this experience. Here, you see the ox's comfortably relaxing in the fields. You can see the animals living their lives longer than most other cows, with most only being "sacrificed" after 7 years. It's hard to start with reviewing the meal. This is an exceptional and unforgettable experience. The various dishes revealed beef flavors unlike anything else, without the typical funky taste of dry aged beef. The dishes that stood out to me the most were the ox chop and the cecina. The cecina deserves a special mention for being the epitome of intense concentrated beef flavor. It is highly recommended to buy some and take it home with you. Finally, I've seen many reviews mention the service. While the service may not be perfect or comparable to that of a Michelin star restaurant, it is excellent and friendly. It is a warmer, more hospitable type of service that is apt considering the remote location of this restaurant. Overall, this restaurant is worth special planning as a pilgrimage for any steak lover. It is truly an unforgettable experience.

Wow wow wow! The best steak restaurant in Europe for a reason… A shame it was raining but did the tour to see the cows and the underground ‘caves’ that were dug into the clay followed by the tasting menu in the restaurant. Each course was incredible, the beef fantastic and the finale steak carved at the table the finishing touch on a great meal. Our waiter was really helpful and friendly and we had a great afternoon. Cannot recommend enough.

A place to enjoy At least once in your lifetime. Unique meat experience. We were lucky to visit during the asturian working ox rare event. Meat was served by Jose himself , who talked through the cuts and returned with the most delicious crispy grilled fat. If I had to find room for improvement, I would suggest to change the table ware , because the size of the plates do not fit properly on the table together with the meat.

Since 2016 I have journeyed to El Capricho and each visit renews my awe. José Gordón’s warmth, vision and relentless pursuit of perfection turn a meal into something almost ceremonial. The steak tartare is an immediate showstopper. Perfectly balanced, it somehow manages to be rich, fresh and addictive all at once. The texture is silky yet substantial, and the flavour opens up in waves, each bite making you wonder why all tartares are not made this way. Then comes the roasted bone marrow, an unapologetic indulgence. It arrives glistening, golden and fragrant, crowned with fresh pink grapefruit and a touch of jalapeño. The combination is pure genius, the citrus slicing through the marrow’s buttery depth while the jalapeño adds a sly, lingering heat. It is like velvet meeting fire, a contrast that makes you pause after each bite just to smile. The cured tongue is a quiet triumph. Tender, delicately seasoned and with a gentle smokiness, it melts away before you realise how much you want another slice. And the cecina… paper-thin slices of air-dried beef, deep ruby with marbled edges, that release a wave of umami, smokiness and minerality with every chew. This is not just charcuterie, it is edible history. Then the chuleta. This is where El Capricho becomes legend. A mature working ox, raised with time and respect, dry-aged to perfection, presented in thick slices of lean, juicy meat. The fat is taken away to the grill, transformed into smoky, golden strips that return to the table while you savour the lean. Pairing the two is an experience beyond description, a flavour that is primal and elegant at once, with layers that unfold long after you swallow. Yes, it is on the pricier side. But it is worth every cent, not just for the quality of the food but for the philosophy that underpins it. Here the animal is honoured, tradition is preserved, and flavour is elevated to its absolute peak. They call it the best steak in the world. I cannot say I have tasted them all, but I can say it is the best steak in my world, and the second best is miles away.

Amazing, we had the top set menu and did the tour beforehand too. Alfredo was a great guide and very informative. This context really enhances the meal, understanding the farm, animals, process, and history really ties this all together. The meat was like nothing I've tasted before, truely incredible experience being led through the 13 dishes. The Elchano wine, grown and made on the farm, was an excellent accompaniment.

Best beef restaurant in the world. All beef eaters must go once. Super friendly staff. Tour provided. Great atmosphere. Spent 7 hours there for lunch 🤣

No words can truly capture the essence of this dinner experience. El capricho must be experienced firsthand. From the moment I arrived, I was immersed in a journey through history and tradition that left me awe-inspired. The storytelling, the ambiance, and the authentic flavors all combined to create a remarkable and unforgettable evening. This is more than just a meal; it is a cultural voyage that celebrates the rich heritage of this place. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The good: The tour is a must see! You get to learn about all of the history and view the animals and really understand the traditions of this farm and restaurant. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and very welcoming. He also provided wonderful service at the restaurant and so did the sommelier. The bad: the service overall unfortunately left a lot lacking. Our server was very stressed and scattered throughout the whole experience which was a bit over 2.5 hours for the essential tasting menu that I ordered. They forgot an item from each of the tasting menus as our table ordered two different versions and then they also failed to mention an up charge for the steak of over 50 euros per person. This was a surprise at the end when we went to pay and it would have been great to at least get a 10% discount or something to acknowledge their mistake since they said the server should let us know. It’s a place that could be great if they figure out the service as the food was wonderful and it’s elevated by dining in the cave but the wait staff was clearly frazzled and arguing with each other throughout. My glass was chipped and I asked for another as I wanted to keep my water but our server rushed and took my glass and brought a new empty glass. Our server tried to bring the bill before the final two plates from the tasting menu arrived and it seemed like he wasn’t sure of what was supposed to happen as he rushed from our table to the next. It’s the little details you expect from a fine dinning location that were missed as it should be a seamless experience for the guests and it was not.

Una experiencia inolvidable. La mejor carne de buey en España, en verdad es un restaurante que no se puede perder. Todo estuvo excelente. El servicio fue excelente, muy atentos. Finalmente, el ambiente/local fue algo mágico, estaba acogedor y rústico.

Worst experience ever and the way they handled our complaint of being food poisoned left us surprised! We went there for a tour on the 1st of April followed by dinner in the evening. It was a gift to my husband because he turned 50.   We have very much been looking forward to the visit because we saw the documentary and planned our whole trip of 5 days with this as the main highlight. We also booked their hotel for 2 nights.   The tour seeing the animals and the caves with Miriam was a big delight. We really enjoyed ourselves. In the evening we had the big tasting menu. My husband, our daughter and me. It was all very tasty, just not the big steak which was chewy. Because of this my daughter and I did not eat more than a little of this but my husband unfortunately did.   Unfortunately during the night my husband woke up feeling very bad. He was vomiting and having diarrhea. It was very clear that he had food poisoning. The day after we had to drive to Madrid for our flight back home to Mallorca. I am sure you can imagine what a horrible trip that was.   I wrote El Capricho to explain them this as they are a professional restaurant and should handle a matter of this with respect. We waited days and days for an answer. They didn't believe us and in the end send us to their lawyer! I NEVER experienced a service this bad! You should think, being professional they would compensate or at least let us know they were sorry but NOTHING! We are still waiting to hear back from their lawyer but now after months ts clear to us, that they don't care at all unless their clients are happy. Such a shame! Thousands of euros spend and a 50th birthday ruined! We didn't even get an apology.

Very nice restaurant and definitely an interesting experience. Being from the Midwest USA (prime meat country) it would be difficult for me to call this the best steak restaurant in the world and overall quite frankly was a little disappointed. We participated in the tour of the farm, which was fun and quirky. Seeing the aging bodega was cool and understanding the traditions of this particular region really interesting. When we arrived for seating it was a bit of a slapstick comedy as we were circled up and down several sets of stairs, in and out of several rooms, as we were handed off from one person to another. Our server was very pleasant, but did little to describe what was being presented to us through the multiple courses and quickly disappeared once the plate was on the table. Trying to get water was a little bit of a challenge too, despite making it clear this was important to our group. The cave seating and ambiance was really a fun experience. The wine selection focuses on specialized regional / Spanish; wine pairings are not available. The amuse bouse was wonderful and set the bar high for courses yet to come. The cured / aged meats were excellent but the steak selection was flavorful but very chewy and not anywhere near the best of our experience. A good Leon local destination experience but not a culinary experience of a highly touted steak restaurant for the quality received (both food and service) at the high price point.

Well, that was an experience! The beef jerky was excellent, like prosciutto but not a pig. The bone marrow was rich and made me gnaw on the bone to get every last bit of juice and meat. The tartar was powerfully rich and flavorful. The chef's choice aged steak? Intensely flavorful and so buttery rich that I struggled to comprehend it. The flan was excellent for dessert, as good as flan can get. The patatas were as good as fries get. I would skip the jerky and the tartar and go for the steak. My wife did not enjoy the meal nearly as much as I did, though. I believe COVID has harmed her taste buds, so things aren't as intense as they used to be. Maybe 20 years from now, I'll go back?

Its those places that its a strange experience. Quite famous, and weird installation in a underground cellar. Great food, cecina the best ever.... carne tarta super good, tomatoes salad crazy good.... the chuleton premium is very good, aged meat with strong flavors in some parts. If your into food, you should try it.

Most excellent experience, enchanting food, warm hospitality, and charming venue. Utterly delightful

Sometimes you drive for an hour and you regret it, the drive to Bodega El Capricho is not such a drive. As you arrive there appear what look like hobbit holes, which are some kind of party caves that the locals have get together to drink and eat. We enter passing by the kitchen whose counter is piled high with large cuts of beef and a pyramid of tiny button mushrooms. Down some stairs and we are seated in a boothlike alcove carved in to the rock. After a finely crafted gin tonico our starters arrived tiny local mushrooms perfectly cooked along with octopus and potatoes sprinkled with pimenton, both simple yet delicious. Then the reason for the visit, the meat, in our case was a piece of well marbled 7 year old ox meat. The steak which was first presented uncooked, was carved table side. The taste and texture were incredible, deep red, buttery marbling, and deep rich flavor. The sides, fries and watercress salad gave us small breaks before we reutned to the meat. The chef stopped by for well deserved praise. This was worth the drive, everything, service, ambiance, beverages, and food was delightful.